Customer Reviews

Bang Ditto

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

When people think of poets, they often think of them writing in isolation -- alone at a desk, or a holed up in the corner of a dive bar. Maybe that's way I've always gravitated towards books which showcase the work of working poet / poets with day jobs, living life like everyone else we know.

I have fallen hard for books like Jim Daniels' "Punching Out" (about the poet's childhood and adulthood living a car factory town), or most recently, "The Complete Poetry of James Hearst" which so beautifully captures decades in the life of a Iowan farmer. There is something profound and grounding about learning about a poet by what they do outside of poetry, and how their job (and the toll it can take) affects their relationships with their lovers, their family, their community and even with themselves.

So imagine my absolutely surprise when I realized that Amber Tamblyn's latest book, "Bang Ditto," absolutely falls into this favorite category of "books by a worker poets." Sure, her job may be unorthodox (Hollywood actor), but it nonetheless pushes and pulls at her, inside and out, like any other job would.

Sometimes this theme is obvious -- like in "Learning To Trust Legs", where she talked about being mistaken for a real prostitute when she was only playing one on a live set, or "Role Research" where she talks about stomaching the graphic images & stories she was exposed to while researching her role as cop. Other times, this theme takes a more surreal tone -- like in "Fell Off" where she feels compelled to defend her actor father Russ Tamblyn from an anonymous commenter on IMBD, or in poems like "Dear Demographic" and "My Face" where she bluntly confronts the public perception of what / who she is supposed to represent. Other times, the theme is more hidden -- as when she writes about her extensive travels which pull her away from those she loves, or the affection-plump poems dedicated to those same much-adored people.

Tamblyn's poetry allows us a deep & nuanced insight into her life and the lives of those around, and she further gilds the lily with envy-inducing wordplay: "It's Hard To Face Your Problems When the Problem is Your Face" she announces in one poem; "My heart was a wave / that broke for you" she slides into another.

This is a bold and teeming second book for a young poet still in her 20s, and Tamblyn is another wonderful addition to Manic D Press's eclectic and refreshing stable of writers.

My favorites are Tweet, In a New York Mugging, Gene Diamonds, Dear Demographic, Louisiana Stories. 125 pages of "YES."

While modern poetry might not be for everyone, especially if you're looking for strict adherence to rhyme form, it can be just as emotionally powerful. Furthermore, while on the surface, modern poetry might lack the allegorical and symbolic complexity of classical poems, you have to see past the surface and realize that there is just as much hidden in modern prose poems as in sonnets or villanelles. Moreover, given that many modern poems are written for the specific purpose of being performed, as opposed to private endeavors, it is best to hear, not just read, Tamblyn's poems to get the full effect. Having had the privilege of hearing a few poems from the book performed by Tamblyn herself, the difference is stark between just reading these poems and hearing them performed. As far as substance, the subjects of the poems run the gamut of relationship troubles to the pressures the society puts on young women today - all of which is very relevant in today's technology infused world. Thus, I recommend this collection for its substance, and urge you to read them aloud, even if just to yourself.

As an Amblyn fan and a writer myself, I was pleased to find "Bang Ditto." Her poetry is raw (not for the faint of heart or the tween) but she has an obvious talent for words and masks. I'm looking forward to her future poems even more than enjoying these.

A fine addition to the bookshelf.

Devouring this book is almost a religious experience. Just read it. It will change your life.

Bang Ditto is an amazing collection of poetry from Amber Tamblyn. She plays with words beautifully and each poem has its own distinct impact like a punch to the cerebellum. "Run On" is one of my favorites "I'm going to get in my car and write an epic piece. Call it: It's Hard to Face Your Problems When the Problem is Your Face." Brilliant. The thing I really enjoy about Bang Ditto is that each poem is so unique and emotional. I feel like I get a sense of the varied range of Tamblyn's feelings and experiences. The work is also very fresh and invigorating, this is not some average poet musing about life, no, this is a poet who has been there, done it, shoved her face in it, and had the balls to write about it openly. Read it!

I have a deep passion for poetry and have studied it extensively. Hands down, Amber Tamblyn is my favorite. Her poetry is filled with wit, wisdom, raw emotion, visceral metaphors, urban images and brilliant insight. Amber is a poet for a new generation.

Don't want to be snarky about this because I see Library of Congress classify this as young adult poetry, and we could certainly do with plenty of that. And Manic D are a great outfit with a very distinct profile. She's certainly prolific. For an actress. (I gather she acts.) 125 tightly printed pages; 2nd book too. I found it pretty unreadable. Though it has felicitous touches ('May the wind knock you out of me', 'beatnik-nacks') and a touching Barbie poem. Things look up too, as with all poets, when she lets humour in (the Trust Haiku, Dear Watermelon Seed, the goodhumoured jibe at dianetics right at the end). OK, so I warmed to it - compared to 'poetry' put out by music biz luminaries it was sheer manna.

But what qualities must poetry have to carry conviction? I'd hazard

inevitability
complexity
depth
authenticity

'My thighs are bibles.
Spread the word.'

I think not.